The many lives of Saquib Nachan: how Padgha village and its most notorious son became synonymous with ‘terror activities'

Indian Express

4 days ago

Standing a little over 5 feet 2 inches, Saquib Nachan, 63, may appear frail and wiry, but his influence among those accused of terrorism in India is far greater than his appearance suggests. Known as 'The Boss' by his associates, Nachan has long been a key figure in jihadi circles, a go-to person not only for legal advice related to terror cases but even for naming their newborns.
Despite being in the custody of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for over 18 months, Nachan's continuing significance was underscored on Monday when the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), in coordination with Thane Rural police, conducted large-scale raids in the Padgha area, including at Nachan's residence. Based on recently received intelligence, more than 250 personnel, including 20 ATS teams, carried out coordinated searches at 15 locations under suspicion of ongoing terror-related planning.
Apart from well-known figures like Syed Abdul Karim alias Tunda and the Bhatkal brothers, Nachan has been accused of masterminding some of the most significant terror attacks in India. He was blamed for orchestrating a series of bomb blasts in Mumbai between 2002 and 2003, alleged to have fought alongside the Afghan Mujahideen against Soviet forces in the 1980s, and was charged with multiple murders and facilitating the movement of Indian Muslims to Pakistan for arms training.
Born into a well-off and respected Konkani Muslim family in Borivali Padgha, a village located 53 km north of Mumbai, Nachan's early life was steeped in relative privilege. He was the third son of Abdul Hamid Nachan, a prominent Muslim community leader, and grew up with 11 siblings on the family's vast land holdings. A commerce graduate, Nachan began his ideological journey with Jamaat-e-Islami before aligning with its student wing, the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), in the early 1980s.
His leadership skills quickly propelled him through the ranks, eventually becoming the Maharashtra president of the Students' Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and later its general secretary. Nachan was instrumental in organising one of SIMI's largest-ever rallies in Mumbai, drawing over 10,000 attendees. He worked closely with key figures such as C A M Basheer, the former SIMI national president, who is widely believed to have played a role in steering the organisation toward militancy.
Nachan had turned rogue by the mid-1980s, intelligence agencies allege. He reportedly travelled to Pakistan and from there to Afghanistan. According to a 1992 Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) chargesheet, Nachan visited Pakistan twice in 1990 to meet with Salahuddin Sudani and Abdur-Rahim-Rasool Sayyef, aiming to train Indian Muslim youth in explosives and guerrilla warfare. The chargesheet also claimed that he facilitated the training of Sikh youths in Pakistan until 1991.
He was further accused of being part of Operation K2, a covert Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)-backed mission to create joint infrastructure in India for Khalistani and Islamist extremists. Nachan's role, according to state agencies, involved arranging safehouses and storage points for arms smuggled across the Gujarat border.
In 1992, Nachan was arrested in Ahmedabad and convicted under the Terrorism and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA), along with Khalistani militant Lal Singh. Although initially sentenced to life, the Supreme Court later reduced his sentence to 10 years, which he served in full.
Nachan has always claimed that he was framed. In an earlier interview with The Indian Express, he admitted to visiting Pakistan but insisted the trips were legal and related to ancestral property.
After his release in 2001, Nachan returned to Padgha, but soon after, he was again under the scanner. He was named in three murder cases involving the daylight killings of two Hindu lawyers and a Muslim man accused of working against community interests. He and his associates were arrested but later acquitted.
Between December 2002 and March 2003, Mumbai witnessed a spate of bombings — four blasts that left 15 dead and many injured. With the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) government facing intense criticism for its handling of rising terror threats and financial scandals, the pressure to crack down on suspects intensified.
On March 27, 2003, a police team — including high-profile encounter specialists like Pradeep Sharma, Daya Nayak, and Sachin Vaze — arrived in Borivali to detain Nachan. What followed was a dramatic confrontation. At Nachan's behest, locals resisted the arrest, roughing up officers and forcing them to retreat temporarily. As police attempted to leave with Nachan in custody, his shouted cry of 'Allahu Akbar' rallied a crowd of local youth who surrounded the police vehicle, leading to a violent standoff.
Though senior villagers eventually calmed the situation, the next day, Mumbai woke to reports that three terrorists — two Pakistani nationals and one Kashmiri — had been killed in an encounter in Ghatkopar by the same police team. Investigators later claimed to have recovered a diary from the slain men that pointed to Nachan's involvement.
With pressure mounting, police intensified surveillance and detentions in Padgha, prompting Nachan to surrender. He, along with 15 others, was charged with executing the four Mumbai bombings: the December 2002 Ghatkopar blast, the December 2002 Mumbai Central blast, the January 2003 Vile Parle blast, and the March 2003 Mulund blast. According to the police, Nachan confessed to his involvement and weapons, including AK-47s and AK-56s, were allegedly recovered from his residence and those of his associates.
The chargesheet stated: 'Nachan collected men, firearms, ammunition, and materials for bomb-making, and arranged training for Muslim youths with the intent of waging war against the Government of India.'
With most lawyers unwilling to represent terror-accused individuals like him, Saquib Nachan chose to defend himself in court—and remarkably, succeeded. He secured acquittals in three murder cases solely through his own arguments and legal acumen. The long-running trial of the 2002–03 Mumbai serial blasts, which claimed 15 lives, is now in its final stages, with Nachan named as the main conspirator behind the attacks that rocked the city between December 2002 and March 2003.
'When you realise your life is at stake, you go to any extreme to save it. I fought my own cases because no one else would,' said Nachan, currently lodged in Thane jail.
In the courtroom, he has earned a reputation for his sharp, focused cross-examinations and occasional good-natured verbal sparring with Special Public Prosecutor Rohini Salian. Even some police officers, after being grilled in the witness box, have been seen patting him on the back in grudging respect.
Despite this courtroom charisma, official records paint a far more damning picture. Nachan's charge sheet is lengthy and serious. Authorities link him to multiple acts of terror, and his family is believed to own vast tracts of land along the Mumbai-Nashik Highway, underscoring both his background and enduring influence.
While he was eventually discharged in the Ghatkopar blast case, Nachan was convicted under the now-repealed Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) and served another 10-year sentence for unlawful weapons possession. He was released in 2017 and returned to live quietly in Borivali Padgha — until he made headlines again in 2023.
In August that year, his son Shamil — named after Chechen militant leader Shamil Basayev — was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for suspected links with ISIS. Four months later, Nachan himself was re-arrested in December 2023 and accused of having connections with the same outfit.
The significance of Padgha
On Monday, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), in coordination with Thane Rural Police, carried out large-scale raids in Padgha, a predominantly Muslim town. This was the latest in a series of over a dozen similar operations conducted by various state agencies since July when two local residents were arrested for allegedly being part of an ISIS module.
With a population of 5,780 – 83 per cent of whom identify as Muslim (as per the 2011 Census) – Borivali-Padgha has, over the last two decades, found itself repeatedly cast in the national spotlight — and often, controversially so. Since five of its residents were named as accused in the 2002–03 Mumbai serial bomb blasts, the town has struggled to shake off a reputation for extremism that many locals believe has been unfairly imposed upon it.
The recent ISIS-linked arrests have once again brought intense scrutiny to Padgha, a town with narrow, winding lanes and centuries-old homes — a place whose cultural and historical contributions to India's independence movement are often overlooked.
Tucked away just off the bustling Mumbai–Agra Highway, Padgha's recorded history dates back to the era of the Shilahara Dynasty, which ruled parts of northern and southern Konkan — including present-day Mumbai — between the 7th and 10th centuries. Trade brought the first Arab settlers to nearby Bhiwandi port, and by the 12th century, a small Arab trading community had established itself in Borivali, adjacent to Padgha. Over time, this grew into a settlement that today has around 7,000 residents, with a 92 per cent Muslim population.
Locals are quick to point out Padgha's proud legacy of political and social activism. During the freedom struggle, it was Muslim women from the town who led a public protest against British goods — a Swadeshi bonfire that drew none other than Sarojini Naidu to Borivali's public square. That spirit of resistance and political engagement has shaped Padgha's identity across generations, making it fertile ground for a spectrum of ideologies — from communism to Islamism.
Many of Padgha's Muslim residents are prosperous landowners, especially in the timber trade, and the community's affluence is evident in the sturdy, often two-century-old homes that still stand in the village. This combination of wealth, education, and political awareness has also made the town a hub for assertive Muslim activism over the years.
However, this legacy has been a double-edged sword. Security agencies allege that Padgha has long harboured a puritanical streak, pointing to its historical association with SIMI — which found a stronghold in the town during the years it operated legally. Authorities have also claimed that the dense forests of the Mahuli and Karwa hills surrounding the village were used for training in subversive activities, including weapons handling and bomb-making.
The latest wave of investigations has further deepened tensions in the town. For many residents, particularly in Borivali, living under constant surveillance has become an unfortunate and exhausting norm. Community leaders argue that despite their affluence, educational advancement, and historic contributions to India's freedom, the town continues to be judged solely through the lens of security and suspicion.